Lickskillet Artists Market and Festival kicks off Saturday

Arts and Entertainment Reporter

Athens, surely, is an art town. Lamar Dodd. ATHICA. Hotel Indigo. Our city boasts many accessible points to experience the visual arts. But none is more community-focused as the Lyndon House Arts Center, which at its core is a mission to provide a diverse slate of cultural experiences.

And that mission is given no better display than the annual Lickskillet Artists Market and Festival, held each fall for the past three years. The fourth installment kicks off at 10 a.m. Saturday.

Utilizing all of Lyndon House’s indoor and outdoor amenities, authors, crafters, painters, cooks and musicians will be on hand to sell their wares and showcase their talents.

The name Lickskillet comes from an old Athens neighborhood from the 1800s, fashionable at its original construction, located along the downtown portion of the Oconee River. Not coincidentally, the Lyndon House boasts a collection of 19th-century clothing and furniture, one of our city’s great, but largely unknown, treasures.

The event also provides one of the last opportunities to view the art of famed musician Richie Havens, whose digital paintings have been on display since the summer.

On the other side of the experience spectrum, art students from Athens’ high schools will also display their creations.

Music runs all day, with performances from Larry Forte, Grape Soda, Dixieland 5 and the Heap, and many more.

True to its name, the Lickskillet Artists Market is a fine way to kick off the holiday shopping season.